Concrete

Emerging trends in precast is indicative of way forward

Published

7 years ago

January 6, 2020

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Prashant Jha, Chief RMX, Nuvoco Vistas

What are the emerging trends in precast?
Depending on the load-bearing structure of the building, some of the emerging trends in precast systems are:
Large-panel systems: The designation "large-panel system" refers to multistory structures composed of large wall and floor concrete panels connected in the vertical and horizontal directions so that the wall panels enclose appropriate spaces for the rooms within a building.

Frame systems: Precast frames can be constructed using either linear elements or spatial beam-column sub-assemblages. Precast beam-column sub-assemblages have the advantage that the connecting faces between the sub-assemblages can be placed away from the critical frame regions; however, linear elements are generally preferred because of the difficulties associated with forming, handling, and erecting spatial elements.

Slab-column systems with shear walls: These systems rely on shear walls to sustain lateral load effects, whereas the slab-column structure resists mainly gravity loads. There are two main systems in this category:

Lift-slab system with walls
Prestressed slab-column system

Modular system: In case of smaller single units, this system is helpful. Some of the advantages are;

Entire unit is cast in a factory and installed at site.
Suitable for toilet blocks or individual rooms
Monolithic casting guarantees waterproofing at junctions

In precast, which segment do you cater to the most?
Nuvoco has contributed and provided solutions to the Infrastructure, mainly Mass Rapid Transit System such as the Noida Metro and the Mumbai Metro projects.

Noida metro project: Nuvoco supplied 243,700 CuM of concrete for Noida Metro, for its NC 01 -elevated viaduct and 8 elevated stations, and NC 02 – elevated viaduct and 7 elevated stations. 3 dedicated captive plants were set up for the project with a concrete output of 250 CuM/hr, with one plant for the casting of U girders. The main challenges included on time productivity, de-shuttering and lifting of the precast modules, controlling the temperature and shrinkage, and aesthetic finish. Each of the girders were with the specification of 5 m wide, 27 m long, with a height of 1.8 m, a thickness of 150 – 200mm, and a volume of 50 – 60 CuM. This was pre-stressed, using 52 to 109 cables as per design. Nuvoco used its high performance early strength concrete, Robuste, of M55 Grade, for the project, ensuring the U Girders achieved a strength of 12 – 14 Mpa at 12 hrs for early de-shuttering. As a result, it successfully erected 200 U-shaped girders in May 2016.

Mumbai metro project: The Mumbai Metro Line – 3, connecting Cuffe Parade to SEEPZ, with 26 underground stations and one at-grade station. The requirement was for package 4, that comprised the three underground stations. Nuvoco set up a captive plant at the site, along with a transit mixer, for the production of 2,48,000 CuM of concrete. This was used for the construction of 6082 m twin bored tunnels with a diameter of 5.80 m. The tunnel sections are 1.4 m long, 1 m wide, and 275 mm in height, with a volume of 1.4 m3. Precast was used to provide a protective lining and reinforcement to the structure. The primary challenge was supplying high early strength concrete of 12 Mpa at 12 hrs without steam curing for de-shuttering. Insert. The project also needed to ensure extremely low Chloride penetration and migration to offer a service life of 150 Years, along with controlled shrinkage, and a customised aesthetic finish. Nuvoco has been able to address these needs by using a combination of two of its products, Instante and Robuste, of M50 Grade.

The industry took a leap with smart products in cement. Can you elaborate on the smart product portfolio of Nuvoco?
Nuvoco’s offers 14 ready-mix concrete products and their variants. They can be customised to suit any specific construction need and provide multiple benefits. Our concrete flagship brands encompass:

Agile, the self-compacting and self-consolidating concrete with a high-quality surface finish
Artiste, a range of decorative concrete that combines freedom of design with low maintenance and high durability.
Xlite, the low-density concrete that reduces structural weight and lowers thermal conductivity.
InstaMix, our ready-to-use bagged concrete and mortar offerings are designed to deliver cost-effective, easy-to-use construction solution in any location.

– RENJINI LIZA VARGHESE

Quote from Dalmia Cement for World Environment Day

Mahendra Singhi, MD & CEO, Dalmia Cement Bharat Limited, who is best known for being an avid advocate of sustainability, said, "The recent crisis, which impacted the entire world, has brought several dramatic changes to the environment from the past two months with a steep fall in global carbon emissions. We have to now explore how – as per our conscious low consumption practices – we can ensure that this reduction is not transient but results in low carbon economy. This crisis has further made all of us to realise that nature is a source of solace, an inspiration, and a teacher and the utmost need to protect it. This Environment Day, let us all come together and commit ourselves to simplest lifestyles as nature tends to act in the simplest way. I believe we still have the opportunity to reshape and redesign our world in a more. Sustainable way and I urge all global players, to not only work towards creating a greener environment, but also healthy lifestyles for all."

Concrete

India’s Core Sector Growth Eases to 4.8 Per Cent in August

Cement, electricity and iron ore offset declines in other sectors

Published

2 days ago

September 26, 2026

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India’s output across eight core industries grew 4.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, easing from the revised 5.0 per cent growth recorded in July, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Index of Core Industries (ICI), which tracks eight key infrastructure sectors, accounts for a significant share of the Index of Industrial Production.

Cement production led the expansion with growth of 12.5 per cent, followed by electricity at 11.6 per cent and iron ore at 5.5 per cent. Steel output increased 3.4 per cent, while refinery products rose 2.6 per cent during the month. The ministry identified cement, electricity and iron ore as the main contributors to overall core sector growth in recent months.

The gains were partly offset by contractions in several sectors. Coal output declined 3.8 per cent year-on-year, while natural gas and crude oil production fell 4.9 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively. Fertiliser production recorded the sharpest decline, falling 12.4 per cent in August.

Cumulative growth in the ICI during April-August 2026 stood at 4.3 per cent, compared with 2.4 per cent in the corresponding period a year earlier. Steel output increased 4.1 per cent during the period, while cement and electricity production grew 10.3 per cent and 9.6 per cent, respectively.

Coal, natural gas, crude oil, refinery products and fertilisers recorded negative cumulative growth during April-August. Their contractions stood at 3.2 per cent, 4.4 per cent, 4.1 per cent, 1.4 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively. The ministry also revised the final ICI for July to 120.8 from the earlier provisional estimate of 121.2, resulting in a downward revision in the month’s growth rate to 5.0 per cent from 5.4 per cent.

Concrete

Jammu Division Begins First Cement Rail Traffic to Anantnag

Cement Loading From Kathua for Anantnag to Begin on September 14

Published

7 days ago

September 21, 2026

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Jammu Railway Division has placed an indent for the first movement of cement by rail within the division, linking Shaheed Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua Railway Station with Anantnag Railway Station. Loading for the consignment is scheduled to begin on September 14.

Concrete

Hard Worker Wins Three Honours at Kyoorius Design Awards

Ramco Cements’ brand secures Grand Prix and two Blue Elephant honours.

Published

7 days ago

September 21, 2026

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The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand, Hard Worker, has won three honours at the Kyoorius Design Awards 2026, including the Grand Prix – Grey Elephant in the Design in Action category.

The brand also secured two Blue Elephant honours, one for Design in Action and another for Packaging, recognising the design approach behind its brand identity and packaging.

Launched in 2025, Hard Worker entered the construction chemicals segment with the brand promise, “Hard-working products for hardworking people.” Its visual identity uses animals and birds to represent product benefits. The camel represents the water-retention capability of Hard Worker Eco Plaster, while the cheetah represents the speed and performance of Hard Worker Block Fix.

The visual language has been extended across packaging, retail, communication, literature, digital platforms and other brand touchpoints. Hard Worker uses bold colours, distinctive animal illustrations and simple visual storytelling to communicate product benefits across markets and audiences, including construction workers and applicators.

“For Hard Worker, design was never an afterthought. It was fundamental to how we wanted to build the brand. In a category that is largely functional, we wanted to create a brand that people could recognise, understand and remember instantly. The Kyoorius recognition is a wonderful validation of this design-led approach,” said Mr. AV Dharmakrishnan, CEO, The Ramco Cements Limited.

Mr. Balaji K. Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements said “In a category where communication has traditionally been product-led and functional, we wanted Hard Worker to stand apart by making design an integral part of the brand experience. From the distinctive animal-led packaging to our communication across consumer and trade touchpoints, every element was designed to make the brand more memorable and the product benefits easier to understand.”

Within its first 12 months, Hard Worker crossed Rs 3.5 bn in sales. The latest recognition follows six honours secured by the brand’s campaign at the Kyoorius Creative Awards earlier in 2026, including the Grey Elephant Grand Prix for its Eco Plaster film.

The Kyoorius Design Awards recognise outstanding design work in India’s visual communications sector across multiple categories and platforms. The 2026 awards were announced on 12 September in Goa.

The Ramco Cements Limited is part of the Ramco Group and operates across cement and allied building-material solutions. Hard Worker is its construction chemicals brand, offering solutions across key construction applications.